There’s nothing like homemade sloppy Joes from scratch with a delicious sloppy joe sauce. Use lean ground beef, pork or turkey for this easy healthy recipe and see why we love it.
I’m excited to share this recipe with you because it’s a no ketchup recipe that calls for good wholesome ingredients. No flavor packets means it’s gluten-free. And, you don’t need an instant pot for sloppy Joes because they cook in 20 minutes. Serve this sloppy Joes recipe on low carb hamburger buns or gluten free rolls. Aren’t into ground beef? Use ground turkey or ground lean pork if you prefer! You’re going to love this easy recipe.
Homemade Sloppy Joes Recipe (low carb, gluten free)
Homemade Sloppy Joes remind me of mom. They were a “go-to” when she wanted something fast and easy or didn’t feel like cooking. I’m not talking manwich sloppy joes from a can, I’m talking about homemade sloppy joes in a beefy, slightly-sweet tomatoey Sloppy Joes sauce.
It’s easy to make sloppy Joes at home: Saute onions, garlic, green bell pepper and lean ground beef in a pot or a pan until the beef is cooked through. Make sure to break the beef up into tiny pieces, start it in a cold pan for the best results. Add the sauce ingredients, stir, and cover. Simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes and serve.
Since this is a low carb blog, I played with the recipe until I got a super-tasty and low carb Sloppy Joe recipe. I nixed the ketchup in Mom’s recipe, added a few more ingredients, and the result is tender ground beef in a delicious Sloppy Joe sauce!
This healthier version is much lower in carbohydrates, has no-added-sugar and tastes great. I use my own sugar-free brown sugar substitute or Sukrin Gold when I make homemade Sloppy Joes, but use regular brown sugar if you prefer.
Homemade sloppy Joes on low carb hamburger buns.
My favorite thing about Sloppy Joes is that they make the BEST messy sandwiches! Mom always served hers on rolls and sometimes added cheese. If you follow a low carb diet like me, you can enjoy your Sloppy Joe sandwiches on low carb hamburger buns. or even these Smart Buns I found on Miracle Noodle.
Other Low Carb Options:
- spoon into bell peppers and bake
- spoon into lettuce cups with diced avocados
- enjoy on a salad with creamy dressing
- serve over spaghetti squash
- serve over mashed cauliflower
- eat in cheese taco shells
- enjoy in low carb wraps
Homemade Sloppy Joes recipe is 3 net carbs per serving for just the meat and sauce.
[This recipe may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through a link I may earn a small consideration.]
Homemade Sloppy Joes Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef, turkey, or pork
- 1/2 cup diced green bell pepper (2 oz, or 1/2 of a pepper)
- 1/4 cup diced onion (1 oz)
- 1 clove garlic minced or pressed
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 2 tbsp Low carb brown sugar (or my Brown Sugar Sub.)*
- 1 tbsp yellow mustard (or Dijon)
- 2 tsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup beef broth (or water with 1 tsp of beef base)
- 1/4 tsp each, salt and pepper
Instructions
- Gather ingredients. Chop green bell pepper and onion. Mince or press garlic.
- Place the ground beef (or turkey or pork) in a medium frying pan and turn the heat to medium. Break meat up into tiny pieces as it cooks. This will take about 7 minutes.
- When the meat is almost cooked through, stir in all of the other ingredients, finishing with the water, last. Bring up to a simmer, turn down to medium low and simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings.
- Serve on a bun or see other ideas in the post. Serves 6 at approximately 1/2 cup per serving. NET CARBS: 3g per serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Hamburger Steaks with Mushroom Gravy
Mom’s Italian Style Low Carb Meatballs
This was absolutely delicious!!! EXCELLENT recipe and tasted just like the sloppy Joes I used to make!! I found low carb buns, toasted them in butter and we were in heaven. Thanks – this one is a KEEPER!!
I’m in a particular quandry – I’m eating low carb/keto but my family (wife and 5 and 1 year old) aren’t so sometimes finding a recipe that works for everyone is hard. However, this one absolutely knocked it out of the park. It’s a favorite that is going to become a regular. I used the Swerve brown sugar replacement (found at my local Target) and cut out the peppers because they aren’t a family favorite. Absolutely stellar.
Hi Garrett. I found that cooking things I can serve my whole family is KEY when following a particular way of eating. No one wants to make 2-3 different meals! I think you may find quite a few that that the family will enjoy. This sloppy Joe recipe is great as a sloppy Joe casserole and sloppy Joe hot pockets, which ads to the versatility. I know you said that your family does’t like bell peppers (we prefer the red, orange and yellow peppers to green peppers), but it’s also great mixed with some cheese and stuffed into a bell pepper. Cooking in the crockpot softens the peppers and makes them sweet and easy to cut. My kids love them.
Thanks for taking the time to come back and let me know how your family liked the recipe. I hope you find a few more that your family likes as much as mine. Have a wonderful weekend. -Kim
This recipe was TO DIE FOR! My mother has been doing keto for a while and was dying to have some Sloppy Joes. Being the dutiful daughter, I got online and found this recipe. The whole family was drooling in anticipation just from the smell alone.
Just curious…have you ever tried to freeze this? Thinking about meal planning & having ready-to-go meals…
I’m so happy you all liked the recipe, Amanda! Yes, it freezes well. Also check out my Sloppy Joe Casserole. -Kim
I left out the green peppers and stuffed half peppers with this instead of using buns. Put a thin slice of cheese on top a couple minutes before pulling it out of the oven. Delicious! Great low carb recipe. Thanks!
Are the calories and macros for this calculated using ground beef? And what percentage beef? Thank you!
Hi Briana, I use 93% (?) lean ground beef. -Kim
This was fantastic! I’ve had homemade sloppy joe’s before, but my other half has just had it out of can. Your low carb version is outstanding! And, he couldn’t believe it was low carb! Ha So he requested this recipe again. Thanks for sharing all that you do. I have your bun recipe in the oven now. Crossing my fingers cos my microwave is on the blink.
I am a bit confused as to “finishing with the water, last???? Please explain this step, thank you.
3.When the meat is almost cooked through, stir in all of the other ingredients, finishing with the water, last. Bring up to a simmer, turn down to medium low and simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings
Hi Gina. Add the water last, stir it in, then let the whole thing simmer to melt/concentrate flavors and ensure all the vegetables are cooked completely. I hope this helps. -Kim
I made this recipe for dinner tonight. My husband is from Milwaukee. When he moved South, he went into a restaurant in KY and asked for BBQ, thinking that this was what he was going to get. Instead, he got pulled pork (sans bun) and he was confused. I made this recipe tonight and he said, “This is as close to my mom’s BBQ as I’ve had since she used to make it.” We’ll be having this again and again. (He doesn’t know it was a Keto version)
WOWWOWWOW!!
Thank you so much! My husband was such a happy man after I made this (ok and me too).
I made your dinner rolls but pressed them flatter. Once cooled, I sliced them in half and they made the perfect sloppy joe.
Christine
I made this for husband and myself. Very good!
Love these Keto sloppy Joe’s!I’ve made them a lot and everyone loves them. I put the sloppy joe over top of a crispy jalapeño chaffle. Delicious! Thanks for your wonderful recipes.
This is so awesome. Better than the canned stuff or the powder package. This will be a go to. Thank you so much!
How many servings is in this recipe? It’s yummy! I make it all the time, but I don’t see anywhere how many servings??
Hi Amy. It serves 6 people at 3g net carbs per serving. -Kim
Thanks!
Hi Kim,
Do you know what would work to substitute for the red wine vinegar and the worcestire? What do you think would be good substitutes for flavor? Thanks for all your good recipes.
Hi Holli. You can use apple cider vinegar and coconut aminos. The flavor will be a little bit different, but should still taste good. -Kim
Awesome. Gonna try that. Why didn’t you want to use those ingredients?
Hi Amy. Do you mean why didn’t I use them as the original ingredients in the recipe? Red wine vinegar has a stronger flavor than ACV and liquid aminos have more or a soy sauce flavor instead of Worcestershire sauce, which is tangy-sweet-peppery-savory in flavor. The Worcestershire sauce compliments and enhances the beef and pepper in the recipe. I hope this helps you understand why I made the choices I made. Have a nice week. -Kim
I was wondering why holli asked for substitutes. I will probably substitute the Worcestershire sauce because I’m doing keto. But wondered why she wanted to sub the red wine vinegar.
This is an easy and tasty recipe! I pile it with cheese and don’t miss the bun at all (keto-committed :)).. this is an enjoyable and easy recipe: to make and to eat! Comfort food without guilt.
Made them exactly as the recipe. Only cooked my onion, garlic & peppers with my ground beef. These were so tasty! Even my non keto and fussy boys loved them! Definitely a keeper! Thank you!
You dont cook peppers and onions with meat?
I didn’t but you can, Cara. I did the meat alone so I could break it up into tiny pieces. -Kim
Do you drain the fat after cooking the meat and before adding the other ingredients?
Hi Heather. Because I used very lean ground beef, I did not have to drain any fat. There was very little. -Kim
Hi! Could this recipe be made in a crock pot / slow cooker? Looks delicious!
Thank you!
Hi Kate. I think this could be made in the crock pot/ slow cooker. I would still cooke the ground beef to get it crumbled, then I would use less liquid since crock pots make water – OR – you could let it simmer with the lid off after cooking to reduce the sauce. You may have to do that anyway with the reduced water. Enjoy the recipe -Kim
I just made this for dinner and it came out delicious! Thanks for sharing!
Has anyone tried using stevia in place of sugar for this recipe?
I used a couple tsp of Tevia and a couple Tbl spoons of sugar free maple syrup. I didn’t have the brown sugar. It tasted great.
Absolutely delicious! My carb eating friend had never tried anything but that stuff in a can (you know which one), and he couldn’t believe his taste buds. We had no leftovers.
Lol. Homemade is always so much better than a can. I am so happy you and your friend liked the recipe! Thank you for taking the time to let me know. Enjoy your weekend. -Kim
Excellent! Our non-keto daughter and her family came for dinner, and she said these were the best Sloppy Joes that I had ever made. =) Her husband loves to try my keto creations, too, and our grandson happily devoured it. Thank you, Kim!!
Yay! I’m thrilled they liked the recipe and you looked like a star! Thanks for letting me know. Have a wonderful week. -Kim
Thank you for this recipe! Sloppy Joes are something my family eats regularly. I am happy to have a version where I can join them! Love your blog.
Thanks, Deb. I’m glad you liked the recipe. Enjoy the 4th! -Kim
Please note that Worcestershire Sauce (WS) has both sugar and molasses (sugar) in it’s ingredients. So unless there is a brand or type of WS that has no sugar or sugar type ingredients that you used then this recipe DOES have added sugar (albeit a small amount). I am not trying to be a pest but to me it’s important that people be aware of what they are putting in their bodies and this claims there’s no sugar added. Thank you for making a healthier version though!
Thank you Kelly for pointing that out. Yes, Worcestershire sauce does have 1 gram of sugar per teaspoon, tomato paste has 1.67 grams per tablespoon and 1/2 cup green bell pepper has 2 grams. So, this recipe does contain added sugar as per its ingredients, but I didn’t add any sugar sources such as honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar, or brown sugar. -Kim
I used coconut aminos instead of Worcestershire,, that I buy on amazon, Tasted great!
What are Brands of low carb Buns in the Greenville, SC area
Hi! Great question! I would Google “low carb bread greenville SC” and see what comes up. I think you would most likely have to order online. You can make your own low carb rolls with the recipe I linked to in the post for low carb hamburger rolls, but not everyone likes the mozzarella dough recipes. Good luck. -Kim
I spoon this into butter lettuce, wrap it up and enjoy.
Or I’ll spray a fry pan with a little Pam, form circles of grated parmesan or cheddar cheese fry on one side until slightly crisp, not too brown. Remove cool a few seconds form into a taco shell shape. Stuff with sloppy Joe mixture. Very tasty…I don’t miss the bun & getting far less carbs.
If you have an ALDI’s store around you, they carry gluten free bread & wraps. Both are good, bread better than any of the expensive ones we’ve tried for my wheat allergic son, and no dairy or egg in it, either! (he’s allergic to milk & eggs, too. : ( )
Have you tried the Miracle Buns? How are they? I want to try them since I need to watch calories too but 16 is a lot if I don’t like them. Do you know if they freeze?
Hi Linda. No, I haven’t tried them, yet. I keep meaning to. Yes, they would freeze. My family had the sloppy Joe’s over spaghetti squash and it was really good, too, if you are looking for lower calorie. -Kim
Thanks Kim. I had them stuffed in a red pepper (my usual). They were fantastic. I added a bit more sulkrin and mushrooms but exact otherwise and my full carb husband loved them. He had 4 !!!!
Wow! It sounds like it was a hit! I’ll try in bell pepper next time for sure! -Kim
These are fabulous! My sloppy Joe loving non-low carb son loved them, which is very high praise.
I ate mine over a bed of cheesy, roasted zucchini. I’m looking forward to making your hamburger bun recipe in the future.
Great! I’m glad you and your son loved the recipe. There’s nothing like a good sloppy Joe! Thanks for taking the time to leave such a nice comment. Enjoy your weekend. -Kim
WOW! Perfection! We enjoyed these so much for dinner this evening. I just used plain water since I have yet to find a healthy beef base, (still looking) but they were still perfect! We will definitely have these often!! BTW, the buns were perfect, too!
Wow, Vivian. I’m so glad you like the recipe. We have enjoyed these quite a bit lately. I’m lucky enough that I have a quality boutique butcher near me which I can buy Demi glacé from. I use that sometimes for beef base since I only use a little. It lasts a long time. Thanks for take my the time to comment, Vivian. Enjoy your week. -Kim
These Sloppy Joe’s were a Home Run! Started with making the Brown Sugar substitute, then the Sloppy Joe’s!! After that, I made the Pumpkin Bread (as muffins for portion control) another Home Run!! The Low Carb Maven is on FIRE!!! The Hubs was thrilled, I am thrilled. Thanks Low Carb Maven for doing the work to make me look good.(and taste amazing!!!)
Hi, Toni! Thanks so much for bringing this comment over from Facebook. I appreciate you so much. I’m glad you and your husband liked it. Have a wonderful week! -Kim
I made these last night and loved them. I usually make them with ketchup but liked this recipe just as well. My son had seconds. Thank you!
Great! I’m glad you liked the recipe, Samantha. My son had seconds, too! Thanks for commenting and rating the recipe. Have a wonderful week. -Kim
I’ve heard of Sloppy Joe’s but never made them. They look so delicious and I would not miss the ketchup one bit, if there is one thing I would never put on food is ketchup! I really have an aversion against it, I always say that people only use it to cover up the actual taste of food. The food is then either really bad and has to be smoothered in ketchup to make it palatable or the people using ketchup all the time cannot appreciate the real food taste anymore, the taste buds are so corrupted by the sweet and sour ketchup that only food covered in ketchup tastes good. Do I make any sense? Somehow I find it difficult to translate this train of thought into English! :) :)
You are exactly right, Adina, and make perfect sense (pah-leez your English is better than mine, lol!). I had a boyfriend who put ketchup on everything. We made beautiful filet mignon for Valentine’s Day one time and he doused it in ketchup! Gah! Yeah, this recipe has more ingredients than the ketchup version, but you can taste the beef and not just sauce. Thanks for the nice comment. Enjoy your week. -Kim
I made this recipe last night for dinner on a cold, rainy evening. It was just the ticket! Served it on LC buns with a side of roasted Brussels sprouts. Another hit at the table and so easy to put together. Thank you.
Great, Ellen. I’m glad you found it easy and I love that you served it with Brussels sprouts. Yum! Have a nice weekend. -Kim
I made these last night and we ate it on spaghetti squash. It was awesome! Thanks for another great recipe!
I’m glad you tried this over spaghetti squash. It is just amazing over spaghetti squash and my favorite way. T thanks for leaving a comment and rating. Enjoy your weekend, Cheryl. -Kim
Nothing better than a night in with the fam and all you can eat sloppy joes! This recipe looks AWESOME!
Hi Karly. Yeah, we had this quite a few days in a row last week. We didn’t mind it at all! Lol. Thanks for commenting. Have a great weekend. -Kim